I’ve always been a big fan of cooking today for tomorrow.
A lot of meals taste better if they are prepared and allowed to rest a day before serving, and spreading the work across two days makes many cooking projects easier. It can also mean the difference between a frazzled and a relaxed host.
Recipes: Lamb Stew With Rosemary and Olives |Endive and Arugula SaladThis menu, a warming meal for a winter’s night, brings out the best in everyone: It lets you enjoy the feast, all while flavors develop and textures improve.
The centerpiece is a savory lamb stew, my favorite kind of cold-weather food. Cubes of lamb shoulder are simmered slowly, flecked with briny olives, splashed with red wine, bumped up with crushed red pepper and kissed with rosemary and garlic.
It’s not the kind of dish that’s ready in 10 minutes; it takes a fair amount of time to prep and needs a good hour or so of simmering to meld all those flavors. But it can be prepared well in advance — a few hours, or preferably, a day before serving. Indeed, most stews of this sort are only improved upon reheating. You’ll want a hearty loaf of bread, or perhaps rice or roasted potatoes, to accompany.
For this meal, I like a simple salad served alongside rather than as a course enjoyed beforehand. It provides a cooling counterpoint. I suggest crisp leaves of Belgian endive, dressed with a lemony shallot vinaigrette and just a touch of anchovy. Adding a few green leaves, like wild arugula, watercress or spinach, makes the salad more colorful.
Recipe: Orange-Ricotta CrepesImageAn orange-scented ricotta fills these crepes, which are finished with an orange caramel sauce.Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.For a dinner party, it can be fun to have a somewhat lavish dessert. Why not crepes? Crepes feel fancy, but they’re not too difficult once you get the hang of them. And, with practice, the technique can be handy to have up your sleeve.
These are filled with an orange-scented ricotta. It’s best to make the crepes at least a day ahead and, if time permits, the filling and the orange caramel sauce, too. You can even have them filled, folded into triangles and ready to pop in the oven. While they are heating, warm the sauce.
Be assured, your lucky guests will be happy to be served this feast — and you’ll be especially happy to have done most of the cooking well before the party.
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